By investing in different aspects of the poultry value chain, Kenyan medical doctor turned farmer has created about 140 jobs within three years in his hometown – Nyeri County, at the foot of Mount Kenya.
Thuo Mathenge says, “I started Bradegate Industries in 2011, with a poultry farm with the proceeds of KSH400 million from the sale of my house because I wanted to impact lives in my community, now the business is worth KSH 3billion.”
The company has also received credit facility from Agriculture Finance Corporation (AFC) in Kenya, and now has a supermarket dedicated simply to the sale of inputs and equipments for poultry farming, a poultry breeding farm, egg hatchery plant, broiler chicken processing plant, a college of poultry science and feedmill as well as restaurant and hotel.
The company also provides technical and financial support to hundreds of farmers to raise day-old chicks produced from its hatchery, when the birds mature, the farmers bring them back to Bradegate which buys them to meet the demands from its hotel/restaurant and other bulk buyers of chickens in Kenya.
That way, even the poorest farmers without funds are empowered to start poultry farming, getting day old chicks, inputs and technical support from Bradegate and bringing back the birds when they are matured and get paid the margin when inputs costs are deducted through the microfinance bank established by Bradegate.
Within a short period, Bradegate Poultry Industries has registered impressive performance and growth. Looking back at its humble beginning and the strong foundation it has managed to build, this should serve as a great encouragement to Africans with investment interests in agribusiness, especially poultry.
It shows great optimism about what the future holds for the poultry industry in Africa. Expressing this optimism, Thuo says, “I see Bradegate Poultry Industries growing into a major player in the poultry industry in Kenya, Africa and in the world.”
OLUYINKA ALAWODE
